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King Hu is the most internationally prominent director of the new school wuxia wave that hit the Hong Kong cinema from the mid-1960s onwards. His prominence lies in the recognition that his wuxia films are the most artistic, most philosophical, and culturally relevant in the whole martial arts genre of the Chinese cinema. Hu’s films are analyzed in some detail – in particular, his masterpieces Come Drink With Me (1966), Dragon Inn (1967), and A Touch of Zen (1972). All these films feature female warriors which became a defining mascot of the Chinese martial arts cinema, otherwise erroneously...

King Hu is the most internationally prominent director of the new school wuxia wave that hit the Hong Kong cinema from the mid-1960s onwards. His prominence lies in the recognition that his wuxia films are the most artistic, most philosophical, and culturally relevant in the whole martial arts genre of the Chinese cinema. Hu’s films are analyzed in some detail – in particular, his masterpieces Come Drink With Me (1966), Dragon Inn (1967), and A Touch of Zen (1972). All these films feature female warriors which became a defining mascot of the Chinese martial arts cinema, otherwise erroneously thought to be wholly dominated by men. Hu’s fame continues to reverberate today largely due to his championing of the female knight-errant (xia nü) figure.